NEW YORK – A Louisiana woman was arrested after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented her from carrying her loaded gun on a flight to LaGuardia Airport on Monday, the agency said, a day many people come home after the long Thanksgiving weekend. .
A TSA agent saw the gun on the checkpoint X-ray machine monitor as the woman’s belongings were entering the X-ray unit. TSA immediately alerted Port Authority Police, who responded to the checkpoint and confiscated the weapon.
The .38 caliber revolver pistol was loaded with five bullets.
The woman was questioned and subsequently arrested for a firearms violation.
According to Robert Duffy, TSA’s director of federal security for the airport, the number of people TSA agents have stopped with weapons at checkpoints has increased since last year.
“Our officers have already stopped more than twice as many guns at our checkpoints this year as they did last year,” Duffy said. “However, no one should bring a gun to a checkpoint because guns are not allowed on planes. This applies to people who have concealed travel permits and travelers who are enrolled in TSA PreCheck®. If a person wishes to carry his firearm on a flight, he must pack it properly to fit in checked baggage. That starts with making sure it’s downloaded.”
TSA Firearm Seizures at LaGuardia Airport Checkpoints, 2017 to 2022:
| Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 (As of 11/28/22) |
| Weapons trapped at LaGuardia Airport checkpoints | 6 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
